Controller for electrically-driven sewing machines



D. M. DURKEE.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1920. 1,419,723.

Patented June 13, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT M. DURKEE, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FREE SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN SEWING MACHINES.

Application filed June 21,

T 0 all whom it may 0012 061% Beit known that I, DWIGHT M. DURKEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, county of Winnebago, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllers for Electrlcally-Driven Sewing Machines. of wh1ch the following is a specification/ My invention is more particularly adapted for use in connection with sewing machines mounted on tables, though from the following description it will be apparent that it is not limited to such use. In electrically-driven machines it is essential that the speed and starting and stopping of the machine be under the ready control of the operator and at the same time the hands he left free for the handling of the work. It has therefore been proposed, (and the proposition has to some extent been adopted in practice), to adapt the rheostat by which the motor is controlled to foot operation, and with this in view the rheostat has been mounted on a base to be put upon the floor and provided with a pedal, control lever or other adjustable part arranged for foot-operation. Unless the device is attached to the floor, however, (in which event it is unsightly and inconvenient because it necessitates the machine being confined to one location) it is apt to be moved around or overturned to the inconvenience of the operator. It is the object of my invention to provide a control operated by the knee, which may be attached to the table or sewing machine head support and be movable therewith and which shall not be unsightly or in the way. With this object in view I mount the rheostat which controls the supply of current to the motor on an arm adapted to be secured to the sewing machine table and, inthe preferred form, adjustable to accommodate operators of different heights.

In the accompanyin drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view 0 a sewing machine to which my invention is applied, a portion of the table being cut away to better show the" construction, and Fig. 2 is a perspective of the device detached from the table.

The table 3, sewing machine head 4 and electric motor 5 may be of any desired or approved design and are shown as of well known type. At 6 I. have shown a rheostat which is inserted in the circuit of the motor, 7 being a cord containing the wires Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 390,439.

by which the rheostat is connected to an electric outlet or source of current. and 8 a connection from the rheostat to the motor. The rheostat is provided as usual with a movable cut-out element 9, which in the present construction is spring-pressed and provided with a plate 10 on its end which is adapted and intended to be engaged by the knee of the operator to move the element 9 inward against the pressure of the spring 20 to regulate the current and hence the speed of the motor. The rheostat is supported in a position in which the element 9 is movable horizontally and for this purpose an arm 11 supports the rheostat and is in turn supported from the cabinet or table of the machine. In order that the arm may be out of the way of the legs of the operator and substantially hidden from view, the body portion 11 thereof inclines upwardly from the rheostat. the upper end 13 thereof being at an angle to the body and win a substantially vertical plane and pivoted on a pin 15 secured to a base plate 16, the latter being screwed or otherwise secured to the inner face of the end wall 21 of the cabinet. The pivot 15 is formed with a head as shown, and between said head and the end 13 of the arm is interposed a springplate 14 which bears upon the, rounded face of the arm so as to hold the lattter frictionally in any position to which it is adjusted.

The lower end 12 of the rheostat holding arm is likewise bent at an angle to the body thereof and substantially in a vertical plane and is secured to the end of the rheostat as shown. The length of the arm is such, and it is so mounted on the cabinet or table as to bring the rheostat beneath the top of the table or cabinet and within convenient reach of the knee of the operator. In order to accommodate the position of the rheostat to operators of different heights, the swinging adjustment above described is provided and the individual operator can thereby readily adjust the arm to the position which is found most convenient and the friction of the joint maintains it in adjusted position.

I claim:

1. In an electrically operated'sewing machine and in combination with the table, head and motor thereof, a rheostat controlling the supply of current to the motor, I. bracket supporting the rheostat and suported by the table, the movable element of the rheostat being arranged for horizontal movethe knee of the operator, an arm attached ment and adapted to be engaged by the to the rheostat and supporting the same, 10 knee of the machine operator. a base plate secured to the sewing machine :2. In an electrically driven sewing matable, said arm being pivoted to the plate chine and in combination with the sewing to permitadjustment thereof in a vertical machine head, motor and table, a rheoplane. stat having a spring pressed horizontally V movable member adapted to be operated by DlVIGHT M. DURKEE. 

